The Colors of the Minnesota Vikings

The NFL's Minnesota Vikings have been playing in purple since the team was formed in 1961. They wear purple jerseys with a white and gold trim. Their purple helmets feature a horned design that's a reference to the Norse raiders they are named for. During the late 1960s, the team's dominant defense was known as the "Purple People Eaters."

Color Strip

The Vikings wear their color strip for home games. The main uniform color is purple, with white and gold trim. The shirt is purple and has white stripes running up under the arms and over the shoulders. These stripes have a gold trim, and the collar design is also gold. The pants are white, with gold trim and a purple stripe from the knee to the thigh. The helmet is purple with a white "viking horn" design. This design has only slightly changed since the team was formed in 1961.

White Strip

The Vikings wear their white uniform for road games. It is similar in style to the color strip uniform, with the stripe going up over the shoulder. However, the colors inverted so that jersey is white and the stripe is purple. The pants and helmet are the same as the color strip uniform.

Alternative Strip

In 2011, the Vikings also have a third uniform -- an alternate style with a more conventional stripe around the sleeve. The jersey is purple, with a white, gold-trimmed stripe going around the bicep. This was the Vikings' color strip jersey up until 2006. Aside from the stripe, other differences seen with the alternate strip include a collar that is purple and pants that have a purple and gold stripe down the leg.

All Purple

On occasion, the Vikings have played in all purple, wearing purple pants with gold and white trim along with purple jerseys. They wore all purple in a 2007 game against the Chicago Bears and again in a win over the Arizona Cardinals in November 2010. This is a throwback to the early days of the Vikings -- they wore purple pants with their white jerseys from 1961 to 1964.